Could Your Cold Feet be Raynauds?

Cold feet and hands are common in the winter months but for some of us, something called raynaud's phenonmemon may make the cold months unbearable. Common symptoms are cold and often whitish coloured fingers and toes that react to the cold more than the next person. Cold hands and a warm heart? Than you may be a classic Raynaud's sufferer. 

Its normal for hands and feet to be a different temperature to others and its also normal for the coldy to cause discomfort in women than men due to our biological differences, but in some people their bodies have an over exaggerated response to cold causing white, numb, and even tingling hands and feet called Raynauds.

Raynauds is an over exaggeration of the body in response to cold and in some cases emotional stresses. It is caused by a part of the brain (the sympathetic nervous system) over reacting to the cold causing a constriction of the blood vessels in our arms and legs leading to a lack of blood flow and hence warmth and healthy colour. 

Cold hands and feet may also be a sign of poor circulation, such as that seen in diabetics or those with cholesterol problems. The difference with Raynauds compared with these problems is that Raynauds occurs in people with otherwise healthy blood flow and only due to exposure to the cold. 

If you think you have Raunauds it might be worth getting your circulation tested. At Podantics we can also check for other risk factors that may lead to poor circulation as well as testing your circulation with the help of a doppler ultrasound. By using a doppler we get a chance to not only see on a chart what your blood vessels are doing  but hear the quality of the blood vessels as part of a thorough assessment. 

For more information on how to warm your feet this winter visit our info page on Cold Feet

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